View source for Cervical plexus

{{Short description|Network of nerves in the neck}}
{{More citations needed |date=April 2014}}
{{Infobox Nerve
| Name         = Cervical plexus 
|Latin        = plexus cervicalis
|Image        = Gray784.png 
|Caption      = Dermatome distribution of the trigeminal nerve (Superficial cervical plexus visible in purple, at center bottom.) 
|Image2       =  
|Caption2     =  
|Innervates   = 
|BranchFrom   = [[Cervical nerves|C1-C4]] 
|BranchTo     =
}}
The '''cervical plexus''' is a [[plexus|nerve plexus]] of the [[anterior rami]] of the first (i.e. upper-most) four [[cervical spinal nerve]]s C1-C4.<ref name=":224">{{Cite book |last=Standring |first=Susan |title=Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice |year=2020 |isbn=978-0-7020-7707-4 |edition=42nd |location=New York |pages=595–596 |oclc=1201341621}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last1=Donofrio|first1=P. D.|title=Neuropathies, Iatrogenic|date=2014-01-01|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123851574006795|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of the Neurological Sciences (Second Edition)|pages=481–484|editor-last=Aminoff|editor-first=Michael J.|place=Oxford|publisher=Academic Press|language=en|doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-385157-4.00679-5|isbn=978-0-12-385158-1|access-date=2020-10-25|last2=Clarke|first2=C. D.|editor2-last=Daroff|editor2-first=Robert B.|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Citation|last=Cesmebasi|first=Alper|title=Chapter 31 - Anatomy of the Cervical Plexus and Its Branches|date=2015-01-01|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124103900000329|work=Nerves and Nerve Injuries|pages=441–449|editor-last=Tubbs|editor-first=R. Shane|place=San Diego|publisher=Academic Press|language=en|doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-410390-0.00032-9|isbn=978-0-12-410390-0|access-date=2020-10-25|editor2-last=Rizk|editor2-first=Elias|editor3-last=Shoja|editor3-first=Mohammadali M.|editor4-last=Loukas|editor4-first=Marios|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last1=Jo|first1=Jasmin|title=Chapter 26 - Metastatic Disease and the Nervous System|date=2014-01-01|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124077102000266|work=Aminoff's Neurology and General Medicine (Fifth Edition)|pages=539–562|editor-last=Aminoff|editor-first=Michael J.|place=Boston|publisher=Academic Press|language=en|doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-407710-2.00026-6|isbn=978-0-12-407710-2|access-date=2020-10-25|last2=Schiff|first2=David|s2cid=78276004 |editor2-last=Josephson|editor2-first=S. Andrew|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The cervical plexus provides motor innervation to some muscles of the neck, and the [[Thoracic diaphragm|diaphragm]]; it provides sensory innervation to parts of the head, neck, and chest.<ref name=":224" />

== Anatomy ==
They are located laterally to the transverse processes between prevertebral muscles from the medial side and vertebral (m. [[Scalene muscles|scalenus]], m. [[levator scapulae]], m. [[splenius cervicis]]) from lateral side. There is anastomosis with [[accessory nerve]], [[hypoglossal nerve]] and [[sympathetic trunk]]. It is located in the [[neck]], deep to the [[sternocleidomastoid]] muscle.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Moskovitz|first1=Joshua B.|title=Chapter 11 - Regional Nerve Blocks of the Head and Neck|date=2015-01-01|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124103900000111|work=Nerves and Nerve Injuries|pages=147–151|editor-last=Tubbs|editor-first=R. Shane|place=San Diego|publisher=Academic Press|language=en|doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-410390-0.00011-1|isbn=978-0-12-410390-0|access-date=2020-10-25|last2=Choi|first2=Andrew|editor2-last=Rizk|editor2-first=Elias|editor3-last=Shoja|editor3-first=Mohammadali M.|editor4-last=Loukas|editor4-first=Marios|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

The branches of the cervical plexus emerge from the [[posterior triangle]] at the [[Erb's point (neurology)|nerve point]], a point which lies midway on the posterior border of the sternocleidomastoid.

=== Relations ===
The cervical plexus is situated deep to the [[sternocleidomastoid muscle]], [[internal jugular vein]], and [[deep cervical fascia]].<ref name=":224" />

It is situated anterior to the [[Middle scalene|middle scalene muscle]], and [[levator scapulae muscle]].<ref name=":224" />

=== Branches ===
The cervical plexus has two types of branches: [[Cutaneous innervation|cutaneous]] and muscular.<ref name=":0" />
*Cutaneous (4 branches): 
**[[Lesser occipital|Lesser occipital nerve]] - innervates the skin and the scalp posterosuperior to the auricle (C2)
**[[Great auricular nerve]] - innervates skin near concha auricle ([[Pinna (anatomy)|outer ear]]) and [[external acoustic meatus]] ([[ear canal]]) (C2-C3)
**[[Transverse cervical nerve]] - innervates anterior region of neck (C2 and C3)
**[[Supraclavicular nerves]] - innervate the skin above and below the clavicle (C3-C4)<ref>Clinically Oriented Anatomy by Moore and Dally's</ref> {{Clarify|date=July 2023|reason=Clarify preceeding reference - which edition?}}
*Muscular
**[[Ansa cervicalis]] - a loop formed by C1-C3 that supplies most infrahyoid (a.k.a. "strap") muscles ([[sternothyroid]], [[sternohyoid]], [[omohyoid]] muscles) etc.
**[[Thyrohyoid branch|Nerve to thyrohyoid]] - fibres from C1 that run with the [[Hypoglossal nerve|hypoglossal nerve (cranial nerve XII)]] and do not participate in the formation of the [[superior root of ansa cervicalis]], instead continuing for some further distance to reach and innervate the [[thyrohyoid muscle]] and the [[geniohyoid muscle]].
**[[Phrenic]] (C3-C5, but mostly C4) - innervates [[thoracic diaphragm]] and the [[pericardium]].
**Segmental branches (C1-C4) - innervate [[scalenes|anterior and middle scalene muscles]]
**[[Levator scapulae|Levator scapulae muscle]] (C3-C4) (also innervated by [[dorsal scapular nerve]] (C5) of the [[brachial plexus]])

==Diagram==
[[File:Cervical plexus.PNG|center|650px]]

==Additional images==
<gallery>
 Image:Gray804.png|Plan of the cervical plexus.
 Image:Gray805.png|The nerves of the scalp, face, and side of neck.
 Image:Gray838.png|The right sympathetic chain and its connections with the thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic plexuses. 
 Image:Gray1210.png|Side of neck, showing chief surface markings.
</gallery>

== References ==
<references />

==External links==
* {{SUNYAnatomyFigs|25|03|02}} - "Diagram of the cervical plexus"
* {{MedicalMnemonics|268|||}}
* [http://kobiljak.msu.edu/cai/ANT551/Unit02/Topic04/U2_L4_O6.html Diagram at msu.edu] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190603153001/http://kobiljak.msu.edu/cai/ANT551/Unit02/Topic04/U2_L4_O6.html |date=2019-06-03 }}

{{Spinal nerves}}
{{Cervical plexus}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Nerve plexus]]
[[Category:Spinal nerves]]
[[Category:Nerves of the head and neck]]
[[Category:Thoracic nerves]]